


Dog Days

by zuzuzuuu



Category: QCYN, Qing Chun You Ni, UNINE (Band), 青春有你
Genre: But you should be able to guess what happens, I want to tag but it'd be a spoiler?, M/M, The summary is more like a preface, Wenhan is a real dog lover, Xia hanyu is also a real dog lover, believe in me, lighthearted fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-01-10 21:50:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18416543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zuzuzuuu/pseuds/zuzuzuuu
Summary: Wenhan picks up a stray dog one thundery summer day, sopping wet, too tired and cold to do anything other than curl up in the discarded yoghurt drink cardboard box. "You poor thing," he says, stretching his umbrella out over the pup. On the side of the box is a stylised, faded "果果" - probably advertising the fruit bits in the drink."Guoguo," he decides, picking the husky up, box and all. "From now on, you're Guoguo."Lian Huaiwei later learns through great trials and life-threatening experiences that Guoguo is not a name that should be said lightly.





	1. Lian Huaiwei

Lian Huaiwei is the first one to meet Wenhan’s new baby, in his new house.

“Ah! So cute!” he stoops down, not even bothering to take off his shoes yet. “Hello there, buddy!”

The puppy-like, half-full-grown husky glares back at him. But it doesn’t bark, which encourages Huaiwei to show his hand, palm up. “Come here,” he says, patting the ground.

“Are you coming in or not?” Wenhan calls out from somewhere inside. At the sound, the husky’s ears perk up, and it immediately turns away, running toward the kitchen. “Ah, Guoguo! Not in the kitchen, remember?”

Lian Huaiwei slips into the guest slippers and walks in to see the husky circle round Wenhan, whining. “Your dog really loves you, huh.”

“Of course,” Wenhan replies, haughtily putting on his oven mittens. “I’m the one who took him in, after all.” The husky tries to jump into Wenhan’s arms again. “Guoguo, sit! What’s gotten into you?”

“Maybe it’s me?” Lian Huaiwei opens the fridge and manages to find, among the leftovers and facial masks, an apple. “He hasn’t met anyone else yet, right?”

“Maybe,” Wenhan says distractedly, pulling out the convenience store honey-soy chicken wings he’d just microwaved. “Maybe it’s mating season soon?” Huaiwei chokes on his first bite of apple. Is it just his imagination, or did the husky just give Wenhan the stink-eye?

Wenhan pops something else in the microwave and shoos Guoguo away from the kitchen counter. “What flavour noodles do you want for your luxurious, ten-course housewarming meal?” He rummages through the packs of instant noodles. “I usually let Guoguo choose, but since you’re visiting for the first time, you get the first pick.”

Lian Huaiwei’s thoughts go from “how luxurious can instant noodles be, you liar” to “your dog chooses your soup flavour?” to “I think your dog wants to kill me”. The husky is looking at him like he’s a newfound enemy, when things were perfectly fine between them a second ago.

“Any one is fine. You know, your dog seems to understand a lot of things,” he chooses to say.

“Guoguo? Of course,” Wenhan says, bending down to finally hug the husky. He pats its back, stroking the fur. “He’s a smart boy. Like master, like dog, right?” Okay, Huaiwei definitely saw that eye roll. But the husky barks, short but agreeing, and wags its tail. “What a good boy,” Wenhan coos.

“…I’ll be outside if you need me,” Huaiwei says. Why does he feel extra unwanted? And like his life is in danger from either food poisoning, or death by dog?

- 

So of course when Wenhan asks him to take care of Guoguo while he’s out of town for a work trip, Huaiwei hesitates a little. “It’s just for a week,” Wenhan says over the phone, voice a little bit tinny. He must be on speaker. “And Guoguo seems to like you the most!” The husky barks somewhere in the house.

“You sure about that?” Lian Huaiwei asks, remembering the time Wenhan’s dog had almost suffocated him by lying on top of him. And that was when he leaned once on Wenhan as they watched a movie together on the couch. There he had been, certain that the biggest regret in life he had was still being single at his deathbed and unfairly susceptible to bullying via friends’ dogs, while the dog’s owner simply laughed and took photos instead of saving him. “What about those dog hotel kind of places?”

The husky howls. The sound gives Huaiwei severe chills.

“Yeah, he definitely prefers you over a dog hotel,” Wenhan says. “Okay, that’s settled, I’ll see you tomorrow with all the things you’ll need. Thanks Xiao Lian! Mwah!”

The second howl cut off by Wenhan hanging up is determined to give Huaiwei nightmares.

-

“He’s a weird one,” Wenhan tells him, dropping off the spare keys to his place. “He needs a morning walk, but not too early, and he basically potty-trained himself – won’t do it outdoors.”

“Mm,” Lian Huaiwei says blearily.

“The dog food is there, but Guoguo likes to eat what I’m eating, most of the time,” he continues.

“Uh huh.”

“Ah and you probably need a vacuum cleaner, he sheds a lot. And -”

“My bro,” Huaiwei says. “It’s 4 a.m. You can text. Aren’t you running late or something.”

“Just making sure,” Wenhan says. He fidgets, then gives Huaiwei a hug. “Thanks for your help. Bye Guoguo!”

The door closes. Huaiwei gets goosebumps from the stare that the husky is giving him.

“What,” he says indignantly, not feeling at all silly for talking to a dog. “He said bye to you and not to me.” The temperature in the room warms up a little. “I’m going back to sleep. Wake me if you need anything.”

-

When someone shakes him half-awake, Lian Huaiwei only mutters, “What?”

“I’m hungry,” the person says in a low voice.

“Noodles in cupboard,” he mumbles, turning to the other side. Footsteps pad away. Huaiwei continues to drift blissfully for a minute.

Wait.

He lives alone.

Lian Huaiwei sits up faster than Usain Bolt.

-

“Guoguo!” He shouts, grabbing the nearest hard object on hand.

“What,” the other person says from behind him.

Lian Huaiwei opens his mouth to scream, but then the other person covers his mouth with a hand, frowning. “Stop shouting.”

“Mmph!” Lian Huaiwei says, eyes huge. The person doesn’t seem like a burglar. For one, he’s clearly just showered, hair still damp. And two, he’s dressed in Wenhan’s only set of fluffy pajamas that he keeps a spare of at Huaiwei’s place. “Mmph mmph mm mmph mmph mmmmmm!”

“Talk like a human,” the not-burglar orders, removing his hand. He squints at it in disgust, wiping it on Huaiwei’s shirt.

Huaiwei gets his breath back, then holds the baseball bat tighter. “What have you done with Guoguo!” The house is surprisingly quiet and he has not spied a strand of dog fur.

The person rolls his eyes and then walks past Huaiwei into the kitchen, avoiding the threatening swings of the baseball bat. “I told you to stop calling me that, Guoguo is too cute a name for me.”

 _?????_ Huaiwei thinks. _Am I still in a dream?_

“Call me Xia Hanyu,” the person rummaging through the cupboard for instant noodles says. He tears one open while Huaiwei continues to stand at the same spot, stunned. “Well don’t just stand there, you want some?”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so sorry i just have this one scene that i want to see and now have to push out all the rest of it in order to get there.
> 
> i also love comments!


	2. Xia Hanyu

Wenhan’s supposed to be back the next day. Xia Hanyu towels dry his hair, humming happily at the thought, then stops to take a deep breath, nose buried in the towel. Yeah, still smells a bit like him. Ugh, it’s only been a few days, he shouldn’t miss Wenhan so much. After all, Wenhan video calls Lian Huaiwei everyday, which is the part of the day when Xia Hanyu turns back into dog form for twenty minutes. But it doesn't really make up for him being there, to scratch his back or shower him with praise or tell him about his day. He takes another forlorn sniff of the towel.

Just then there’s the sound of the front door being opened. Lian Huaiwei always manages to have the worst timings, he thinks, giving a small _tsk._ “Xiao Lian –”

“I’m back!” Wenhan cheers from the doorway. “Eh? Where’s everybody? I heard someone call for Xiao Lian.”

Hanyu freezes. Shit.

-

“Oh!” Wenhan says, looking up from his phone. “Who are you?”

Xia Hanyu opens his mouth, closes it. He frowns out of habit.

“Sorry, guess that was rude. I’m Wenhan,” his human says, smiling.

Hanyu feels his heart stutter a bit. Being in animal form really doesn’t do justice to the sparkle in Wenhan’s eyes, or the colour of his hair as the light shifts on it. He clears his throat. “I’m -”

“I’m home!” Lian Huaiwei says as he opens the door.

Yeah. Bad timing. If looks could kill, Hanyu could probably have set fire to the surprised “o” on Lian Huaiwei’s face, groceries hanging from his hand.

-

“Xiao Lian!” Wenhan says, patting his back. “I came back early, so I thought I’d pop by and bring Guoguo back. I was just about to ask - introduce us?” Hanyu spends a second or two crying internally at _how can the back of his head be so cute_ before the direness of the situation hits him.

“Huh? You don’t -” Lian Huaiwei finally catches the frantic eye signals that Hanyu has been sending him, shaking his head as vigorously as he can without Wenhan noticing. _If he knew, why would I bother turning back into a dog for the video call!_ Hanyu thinks furiously. “I mean. Uhhhhhh you wouldn’t be able to guess! This is Xia Hanyu,” Lian Huaiwei says, eyes darting from side to side. “He’s… uh…”

“Visiting,” Hanyu says. “Xia from summer, but Yu isn’t the rain.” He stares intently at Wenhan, but Wenhan just nods in understanding. He feels a little disappointed that his hint wasn’t caught, but then again, it’s not like most people expect the stray animal they picked up to show up in human form.

“That really reminds me of my dog, we met on a rainy summer day,” Wenhan says. The happiness bubbles up until it could burst onto Hanyu’s face. “Speaking of which, where is Guoguo?”

Ah _shit._

“He went for a walk,” Xia Hanyu says quickly.

“By himself?” Lian Huaiwei bursts, expression saying without words, _what kind of excuse is that??_ before obviously realizing this does not help his case at all, because if Guoguo isn't around, he's the one that Wenhan will skewer, not Xia Hanyu. “I mean, yes. By himself.”

“He does that sometimes,” Wenhan says, nodding. “He likes the privacy or something. He's a very strange dog. I didn't expect you'd know to let him, though.”

Lian Huaiwei’s expression is priceless. “I give up,” he says, walking off to put the food away. “Why am I here?”

Hanyu sticks his tongue out at Lian Huaiwei’s back. He turns back to see Wenhan laughing quietly, eyes shining, and okay, he _really_ has to go now before he does something disastrous. Like hug the person he's been missing for five days, who is now standing before him, oversized hoodie swallowing his hands and making them look small and cute.

“I gotta go,” Xia Hanyu says.

Wenhan waves, moving out of the way. “Nice meeting you! Any friend of Xiao Lian is my friend too.”

“See you!” Huaiwei shouts. Xia Hanyu raises a hand in faux lazy goodbye as he leaves without turning back, afraid to look at Wenhan for a second longer.

He closes the door behind him before sticking a hand into his pocket. _Thank goodness I was smart enough to grab my collar before leaving the room_ , he thinks, thumb running over the engraved “果果” on the tag. Once he's three blocks away, he fastens it around his neck. The feeling of belonging and comfort makes him smile even as he makes his way to his stashing point. _See you soon._

-

Wenhan opens the door for him when he reaches home, pawing on the front door.

“Guoguo!” his human greets, bending down with arms outstretched. “Did you miss me? Didja miss me, huh, big guy?” _You have no idea_ , he barks. “I missed you too, buddy!”

 _I wish I could tell you,_ he thinks, _but if I can’t, this is good, too._

“I met this guy today,” Wenhan tells him, brushing his back. “Xia Hanyu. I thought he was cold and kind of scary at first, but actually he’s not. But he feels familiar somehow.” He tenses, tail wagging slowly. “Maybe we’re meant to be friends!”

 _Well,_ he thinks. _In that case_.

 

 


	3. Li Wenhan

“Why don’t you bring him around town?” Lian Huaiwei suggests after Wenhan’s tenth time sighing about coming up with a reason to hang out with Xia Hanyu. “He said he’s visiting.”

“Xiao Lian, you genius,” Wenhan says, sitting upright.

“You flatter me,” Huaiwei says, pouring a drink for himself, completely at home in Wenhan’s place.

“Wait,” Wenhan squints, “What do you mean _he said?_ ”

“I mean, we’re not that close,” Huaiwei says quickly, mopping up the spill made when his hand shook while pouring. “Just. Kind of acquainted. Friends. But he’s a good person. Right, Guoguo?”

Guoguo barks in agreement.

“Oh,” Wenhan nods, decided. “Then the two of us will be Xia Hanyu’s tour guides.”

“The two - _ow_ ,” Huaiwei says, pulling his fingers away from Guoguo’s mouth. “Uh, why not just you and Xia Hanyu?”

“But he's your friend!” Wenhan says defensively. “I wouldn't know what he likes.”

Huaiwei carefully steps away from Guoguo, drink in his hand. “Well, then this is a great chance to find out. But I'll be there if you really want me to?”

“Thanks, Xiao Lian!” Wenhan chirps, giving him a quick hug. He laughs when Guoguo squeezes his way into the space between them, but Huaiwei only gives a long-suffering, fond sigh.

-

Huaiwei texts him on the day itself. _Sorry, emergency work popped up :(( Have fun!_

 _Oh man that sucks. Have fun!_ Wenhan types, because he’s great at comforting people.

He’s still grinning at the meme battle they’re having when someone’s sneakers stop in front of him. “Hey.” Wenhan looks up to see the person he’s waiting for, dressed in black leather jacket.

“Xia Hanyu,” he says, putting away his phone for this important moment of self-introduction. “Be honoured. I’ll be your guide for the day.” Hanyu quirks an eyebrow, but otherwise makes no comment, stepping forward to stand close enough for Wenhan to smell his cologne. It is, Wenhan has to admit, a really nice smell.

He hastily leads the way, pulling Hanyu along by the wrist against the weekend crowd. “Don’t get lost,” he says, turning back only to see him smiling, dimple showing. Wenhan quickly faces front again. Until the wrist in his hold turns, and he feels a hand hold firmly on to his wrist in return. It feels like an anchor in the sea of people.

 _Li Wenhan, get a grip,_ he thinks, but can’t stop his heart hammering away.

-

They decide on a random cafe - or rather, Wenhan had spent the time while waiting searching and, after ~~a lot of~~ some deliberation, selecting the top three places to hang out in the city. To which Xia Hanyu had only shrugged and said, “I'll go wherever you take me.”

They finally sit down, each with their own drink. “Have I shown you my dog?” Wenhan asks, pulling out his phone. Starting with Guoguo is always a great way to break the ice. He scrolls through his gallery, flicking past his latest shiba memes as he bites on his straw. Xia Hanyu wordlessly pushes the drink on the table nearer to him so that Wenhan doesn't have to lean over so much. “Oh, thanks.”

He hesitates at the recent selfie he took with Guoguo sleeping in the background, and decides to start with the one where Guoguo is staring at the camera, almost posing.

“Isn't he handsome,” Wenhan says proudly, flashing his phone at Xia Hanyu. The other person across the table takes the phone gently, fingers brushing his, and Wenhan can't help the surprised slurp of his drink to hide the thump of his heart.

“Mm,” Hanyu says. “He's handsome.” But he says this looking up from the phone, eyes locking with Wenhan.

“Yeah, see.” Wenhan nods hurriedly in agreement, ducking back down to take another sip, which is how he only catches a glimpse of the complicated look on Hanyu's face as he hovers over the picture with Guoguo’s sleeping face in close-up.

-

“What do you think about going to a dog cafe,” Wenhan says, petting Guoguo’s head. The husky freezes, then barks, pawing the ground.

“I don't think Xia Hanyu likes other dogs,” Lian Huaiwei says, then pauses. “I mean. Dogs. In general.”

“Oh,” Wenhan says, writing and deleting the sentence into the conversation with “Dangerous Xia”. The last-seen is yesterday, so he doesn't think the other person will see him continuously typing without actually sending anything. “But he liked Guoguo when I showed him a picture.”

“Yes, well, Guoguo is just so charming,” Huaiwei says, successfully pouring a drink without spilling or tripping. “Right, Guoguo?”

The husky nips Huaiwei’s hand and then runs back into Wenhan's arms.

-

Huaiwei had another last-minute work arrangement that kept him from joining the 7-day-only limited time offer tour guide deal by Li & Co. Which means the two of them are walking side by side, Wenhan extremely delighted to discover that they not only have similar interests, but are also on the same page for many things. It's also weirdly cute the way Xia Hanyu's face seems to come alive when talking, frowning in disdain or laughing quietly. Weird because it shouldn’t be cute.

“Eh, you have little fangs,” he says, curious.

“...Mm,” Xia Hanyu replies, hand firmly over his mouth.

“It's cute,” Wenhan says generously. “Kind of like Guoguo.”

The light dancing in Hanyu’s eyes makes Wenhan smile back widely, back of his hand knocking into Hanyu’s.

-

“Guoguo, you have competition,” Wenhan tells him, rubbing his belly. The husky rolls over to look at him, as if saying, “Oh? Do tell.”

Wenhan stops trying to type the wittiest sentence he can think of into the conversation window with “Lao Xia” and pats his lap, inviting. Guoguo takes the invitation without prompting, tail wagging and tickling his calf. “I found someone who might be even cuter than you.”

“Poor Guoguo,” Lian Huaiwei says, and gets chased out of the room by a suddenly energetic husky.

-

Xiao Lian's third absence is made up for by the abundance of dogs they pass by, Wenhan bending down to pet each one they meet (with permission of course).

“Yuanyuan,” he coos at the big-pawed puppy leashed to the post outside the cafe, which pants happily at him. Hanyu just stands at the side waiting for him, shifting from foot to foot. He looks upward at Hanyu from where he’s scratching the puppy’s head. “You really don’t like dogs, huh.”

“I like your dog,” Hanyu says, glancing down at Yuanyuan, and then quickly looking away.

“You’ve never met my dog,” Wenhan laughs, giving one last pat to Yuanyuan’s large fluffy head before he straightens back up.

Hanyu sucks in his cheek, thinking, and doesn’t protest when Wenhan hangs an arm across his shoulders. Huh. He’s just the right height, too. Is there such a thing as too perfect? “But it’s your dog. So I know I’ll like it.”

 _This is so unfair_ , Wenhan thinks, and mock-angrily shoves Hanyu.

“Don’t you worry,” he declares while wrapping his arm back around Hanyu’s neck, immediately sorry for pushing him away. “I’ll protect you from any dog. All the dogs! They’ll have to come through me first!” His theatrics make Hanyu roll his eyes, but the upward quirk of his mouth gives him away.

-

So not only does Wenhan not run away when the random dog comes towards them out of nowhere, but he even squats down so he can catch it.

“Woah, hey,” he says, making the dog stop in its tracks and look up at him. “Are you lost?”

It pauses. Then starts barking at him.

It's loud and aggressive. Not at all what he was expecting. And the dog, Wenhan suddenly realizes, is much bigger than the usual small fluffy pets. He freezes up.

It moves steadily toward him, pressuring, continuing its deafening barks. In a moment of sudden panic he loses his balance, falling backward while leaning away.

Before he can react - dumbfounded and now beginning to be afraid after the fact - Xia Hanyu steps in between them, frowning so fiercely that he seems like a completely different person.

“Back off,” Xia Hanyu growls.

The dog takes an uncertain step back. Xia Hanyu glares.

“Leave,” he orders, teeth bared in a snarl.

It turns tail and runs.

Hanyu watches it, body tensed. The moment it disappears from sight, he immediately turns to Wenhan, pulling him up to his feet and checking him from head to toe for any injuries. “Are you alright?” he asks, dark eyes worried. Wenhan can only nod wordlessly, watching Hanyu dust off his shoulders and turn his hands over, making sure there is not a scratch on him.

“I’m not that weak,” Wenhan says, but he doesn’t stop Hanyu from turning him around on the spot so he can have a look at his back. “...Thanks.”

“You shouldn’t pet every dog you meet,” Hanyu says. His tone sounds almost scolding. Wenhan peeks at the unhappy line of Hanyu’s mouth, the only thing visible under the other’s baseball cap.

“But how else would I have met Guoguo?” Wenhan says, nudging him. Hanyu finally looks up, and Wenhan holds up his pinky finger in peace offering. “Alright, I promise.”

-

His husky is exceptionally affectionate today, licking his face and hands and not listening when Wenhan tells him off for it, ticklish.

“Guoguo,” he tells the husky when he manages to get it off him, pointing seriously at its nose. “When I’m in trouble, you have to protect me, okay?” Guoguo wags his tail vigorously and barks. “Good boy. I knew I could count on you.”

-

Xia Hanyu enters Wenhan’s life so smoothly that it seems like he was meant to be part of it all along, until one day Wenhan finds himself in Lian Huaiwei’s kitchen, humming to himself, and pauses when he realizes he doesn't have enough hands to bring out three bottles instead of two.

“You _didn’t_ ,” he can hear Huaiwei say. “What, I didn’t think you were that type of person.”

“Like you know what kind of person I am,” Hanyu retorts. But Wenhan can tell that he’s smiling, proof that he’s spent too much time with Hanyu, learning the way his eyes crinkle and his voice curves when happy.

“You can't tell a person's true nature from their face, but your case is an exception, you evil monster,” Huaiwei says to Hanyu's freely barking laugh, and Wenhan has to squash down the feeling of - sour jealousy? He shakes his head and enters the room, saying cheerfully, “Drinks! Xiao Lian, I could hear you from three blocks away.”

Huaiwei jumps up, grabbing one, but Xia Hanyu seems to clam up. “Shut up, you love me anyway,” Huaiwei says, trying and failing to get the cap off. He gives up, handing it to Hanyu, who takes it without a word.

“I do,” Wenhan agrees. He watches from the corner of his eyes as Xia Hanyu halts in the middle of opening the cap, frowning at it.

“Going to get an opener,” Xia Hanyu says, standing up abruptly and heading for the kitchen, obviously familiar.

“Don't leave it in the wrong place again,” Huaiwei says loudly, not looking up from wiping his hands dry.

Wenhan sips his drink, suddenly needing it a lot more than before.

-

“Xia Hanyu is really good friends with Xiao Lian, huh,” Wenhan tells Guoguo. His eyes are trained on the chat window. The last-seen is from a few days ago, stuck on the _ok_ to his _at xiao lian’s place now_. Guoguo whines and noses the phone away.

-

He nearly walks in on something he wouldn't want to be around for, hand right about to land on the doorknob when Huaiwei’s serious voice sounds.

“You can’t do this forever,” Huaiwei says. “When are you going to tell him?”

There is no response. Wenhan feels like a thief in his own house, sneaking around and spying on conversations behind doors.

“You can start with those three simple words,” Huaiwei says. “Xia Hanyu.”

Wenhan straightens at the name, suddenly alert. He doesn't dare to breathe. _Xia Hanyu?_ “I like you.”

-

Wenhan stands there for what seems like a very long time, hand resting on the door.

It's quiet again. Then there's the sound of Guoguo’s growls and whines from inside the room, bringing him out of his reverie. Wenhan slaps his own cheeks lightly.

“Xiao Lian,” he peeks in, looking like he's just come out. “Shower’s free.”

“Ah, okay!” Huaiwei replies, bouncing up from the chair. Trying his best to look nonchalant, Wenhan walks in, towelling dry his hair. “Were you talking with someone? I heard voices.”

“Huh? Oh, it's nothing,” Huaiwei says, picking up his change of clothes. “Just talking to myself.”

Wenhan puts the towel down as Guoguo comes over, asking to be petted. “Oh.” He scratches the husky’s chin almost absentmindedly, not noticing when Huaiwei leaves.

-

“I think Xia Hanyu doesn’t like me,” Wenhan says sadly, smoothing Guoguo’s fur. The dog looks up quickly. “He’s always laughing happily with Xiao Lian, but he stops when I walk in.”

Guoguo pushes his head into Wenhan’s lap. “And Xiao Lian likes him too,” Wenhan continues, staring out unseeingly into the living room. He leans back, head on the sofa seat, sitting sprawled on the floor. “I overheard his confession rehearsal today. It was a little adorable. Don’t tell him I said so though.”

He rubs the space between Guoguo’s ears, smiling. “Maybe I should set them up together?”

Guoguo seems to still, then barks loudly. “Shh,” he hushes. “Why are _you_ so excited about it?” The husky jumps in a circle, agitated, before licking his face tentatively. Wenhan laughs and hugs him, burying his face in the soft fur.

“But Guoguo, what do I do,” he says, voice brokenly muffled. “I think I like Xia Hanyu.”

-

“Say that again,” a low voice says, slightly trembling. Wenhan looks up in surprise. “Xia Hanyu?!”

One moment he was hugging soft fur, and the next he finds himself arms full of the very person he was talking about, warm body pressed flush against him, naked. Very naked.

“Oh my god I’m sorry,” he panics, letting go immediately. “I mean - I - you - how? What? Clothes?”

“Say that again,” Xia Hanyu repeats, grabbing his arm. His eyes are dark, even more intense than any time he’s seen him.

“I,” Wenhan stammers. The lamp light reflects off the only piece of clothing that he can see Xia Hanyu wearing, which looks like a very familiar dog collar. His brain sputters to a stop. “I think I like Xia Hanyu…?” He can feel the blood rush to his ears and _oh my god this is so embarrassing what is going on!!_

“You think?” Xia Hanyu asks, dissatisfied, and presses close, body heat coming off him in waves. Back against the sofa, with nowhere else for him to go, Wenhan instinctively puts a hand on Hanyu’s chest to maintain the distance between them. Except that he only touches smooth skin, and quickly moves back, burned. But Xia Hanyu grabs his hand and places it back on his chest.

Xia Hanyu’s heart is beating really fast, too. Oh.

Wenhan bites his lips, squeezes his eyes shut, and throws it all out to the dogs. “I like Xia Hanyu!!”

Silence. Wenhan gathers the courage to open his eyes a tiny fraction. Only to see Hanyu, head bowed, arms supporting his weight so that he doesn’t crush Wenhan under him.

Hanyu finally raises his head, eyes shiny. “No need to shout, I’m right here,” he says, hand coming up to cup Wenhan’s face, as gentle as always. “Xia Hanyu likes you too.”

-

The kiss is quiet, slow, Hanyu’s exhales warm against his cheek, and just right.

-

“You,” Wenhan says when they break apart, eyes lingering on Hanyu’s red lips and little fanged teeth. His brain is too mush to be coherent. “Guoguo?”

“I’m human,” Hanyu says, adjusting his posture so that he can get better access without tiring either of them out. “Mostly. I just happen to be able to turn into a dog.”

“ _All_ this _time_ , you _spy_ ,” Wenhan accuses, jabbing Hanyu’s shoulder on each word to emphasize his point. Hanyu only looks at him, accepting the jabs, eyes like the day he offered his umbrella to the husky along the road.

He deflates, patting Hanyu. “Get up, I’ll find something for you to wear.”

“Yes, master,” Hanyu says - he has to be doing this on purpose, Wenhan thinks, glaring at him and pretending his ears are not flaming. “Don’t! Call me that! I feel weird now!!”

“Wenhan,” Hanyu says, grinning. “Wenhan, Wenhan, Wenhan.” He follows him around to the room like when he first brought Guoguo home, not protesting at all when Wenhan throws the set of worn clothes at his face.

“Are you done?” Wenhan asks, facing the wall, although there doesn’t really seem to be a point, given how he’s basically seen everything already. “I'm still angry with you, by the way.” Hanyu is sniffing the pajamas when he turns his head back. The sight of him in his own pajamas - though he rarely wears them, preferring to sleep without - still makes something jump in his chest.

“Wenhan,” Hanyu says instead of answering, dimple showing. It’s like he hasn’t gotten tired of saying his name. “Can I sleep with you?”

 _Is there no end to this!_ Wenhan thinks, giving up on hiding his flush. He turns his back on him and falls onto the bed with an angry huff. “Do whatever you want!” _Not like you haven't done it before as Guoguo._ The thought makes him bury his face into the pillow, ignoring Hanyu humming softly as he settles in beside him.

They lie quietly for a while. No one speaks, but Wenhan continues to hide from the surprising familiarity of it all. Everything and nothing has changed at once.

It's Hanyu who breaks the silence. “Wenhan,” he whispers. “Whether as Xia Hanyu, or as Guoguo. I've always liked only you.”

Wenhan shifts his head. Hanyu, a little curled up on himself, lies beside him as he asked to, but never touching, not even crossing his personal space. He blinks at Wenhan, sincere, and Wenhan can feel his heart melt like the traitorous thing it is.

“C’mere,” he says. Hanyu inches over. When he's close enough, Wenhan hugs him, nose finding Hanyu's chest without hesitation. “Okay. You can be my personal bolster.”

A warm hand comes to rest on his side. “Okay.” He can feel Hanyu's smile in those words, and when he presses a light kiss to the top of his head.

“Thank you,” Hanyu says against his hair. “For everything.”

Wenhan smiles and holds him tighter. The hottest days of summer are over, the cool night breeze coming in through the window making him feel light and giddy. “As Xia Hanyu or Guoguo, I like you too.”

-

“Wait. Lian Huaiwei knew all along!”

“I told him not to tell.”

“You… All the times I told Guoguo about Xia Hanyu! And you watched me get ready! And you still said I looked good!”

“You do look good. Though we need to change your wardrobe.”

“Get out of my bed.”

“Ah, you said I could do what I want…”

“Don't try your Guoguo tricks on me.”

“...”

“Guoguo! I mean, Xia Hanyu! No, off the bed. Off! Ah, that tickles -”

 

 

 

FIN.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally!! The end!! Can you tell which part was the one thing that caused all the other words to have to be churned out? Haha. 
> 
> Last chapter will just be extras and happy ever afters. Hope this was fun! It was fun for me!


	4. And so on

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my tags of the very first chapter i said "wenhan is a real dog lover" and "xia hanyu is also a real dog lover" and i meant "dog lover" in two different ways. (but _not_ a dog lover in _that_ sense.)
> 
> I dont think this is rated but i would advise people under the age of 18 not to read the first part? I guess? I'm bad at this.

“Your tongue is so long, though,” Wenhan says, poking inquisitively at Hanyu’s cheeks. Hanyu grabs the mischievous hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing it. “Is it because of the dog thing?”

Xia Hanyu looks up, lips still pressed to Wenhan’s knuckles, eyes dark. “Curious how long it is?” he says. He takes the closest finger into his mouth with a tilt of his head, never breaking eye contact as he lavishes each with a deep lick, one by one.

“ _Shameless_ ,” Wenhan says. His flush extends from his cheeks to the tips of his ears, and then down his neck. _Ah, I wonder how far it goes._

“You’re cute when you’re flustered,” Hanyu says, eyes trailing down the shirt that’s in the way of his view of Wenhan’s chest.

“And you’re shameless - ah! Not - nnngh,” _Wenhan’s mouth makes wonderful sounds,_ Hanyu thinks, and flips the lights off with his free hand.

-

“Guoguo,” Lian Huaiwei says, “Can you -”

“I told you not to call me that,” Xia Hanyu frowns.

“Xia Guoguo,” Wenhan says, mouth in his half-pout. “Gimme.” Hanyu hands him the bowl of grapes, still frowning at Lian Huaiwei.

Huaiwei’s mouth drops open. “Double standards!” he says, disbelieving. “Lao Xia! After all I’ve done!”

“It’s Xiao Xia!”

Wenhan’s laugh makes Hanyu break his glare, turning to wrap an arm around him, eyes soft.

“Don’t look at me like that, Lao Xia,” Wenhan says, but he snuggles closer, munching on the grapes.

Hanyu puts the bowl on the table so he can hug him properly. “It’s Xiao Xia,” he corrects. “But if that’s too hard, Honey is fine.”

“ _Why_ am I here,” Huaiwei exclaims, throwing his hands up and leaving.

“I love you Xiao Lian,” Wenhan calls. He leans his head back, hiding his neck, when Hanyu turns an indignant stare on him. “What?”

“Aiya, Guoguo, don’t sulk in your dog form - ah, no, I didn’t mean you have to turn back to a human to sulk. Wait - hey! Watch where you’re - mmmph -”

-

Huaiwei stops when he passes by a rabbit caught in a tangle. It looks up at him with alarm, which he tries his best to assuage while approaching slowly. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he says, inching forward. “I just need to cut this and then you’ll be free. Okay?”

It seems to understand, or otherwise has given up fighting, because it waits quietly as Huaiwei works the tangled strings. It takes more work than he expected.

“There,” he says, relieved. The rabbit gives an experimental hop forward, then runs straight into his hands.

“Go on,” he shoos, but the white and brown bunny only bounces one step away before coming back to him. Huaiwei huffs a quiet laugh. “What, you want to come with me?” The rabbit nudges his fingers with its nose, and Huaiwei feels his smile stretch.

“Okay,” he says, scooping it up. It doesn’t struggle at all, only scooting closer to his chest. He strokes it, walking forward. “What do you think of the name… Tutu? No? Jade rabbit - Xiao Yu? Hm… Ah! Xiao Yue! Yue Bao!”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah it's guan yue 🐰
> 
> The [dog days](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_days) are [over](https://youtu.be/ny4deVFsYuo), thanks for sticking through
> 
> I actually started another side-story (??) about this AU but i'm now wondering how to post it (if i ever do)???? maybe i'll make this a series? haha. stay tuned
> 
> (p.s. they switch bodies) (haven't figured out how that ends yet) (i just like the idea)


End file.
